Abu Dhabi Overview

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Abu Dhabi is one of the seven member states of UAE with the capital of the state also named as Abu Dhabi. It is situated on a T-shaped island that juts out into the Persian Gulf. The city of Abu Dhabi is the home of Emirati Royal Family, important federal offices and the seat for the UAE government

A cosmopolitan city; it has seen a lot of development and urbanization in the past few decades making it one of the most important centers in the Middle East. Another urban city of the region is Al 'Ain, which is also called as the Garden City.

Finding a Masjid in Abu Dhabi is never a problem; there are plenty of Masaajid all over the region. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the third largest Masjid in the world and it occupies the area from Mussafah Bridge to the Maqtaa Bridge. The other important Masaajid include Zayed Mosque, Sheikh Khalifa Mosque, Hazza Bin Zayed Mosque, Omeir Bin Yousuf Mosque and the Gold Souk Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

Halal food is easily available all around the city; from traditional Arabic cuisines to fast food and international cuisines. As in many other cities across the Middle East the halalness of the food is assured by the outlets themselves; as there is no widespread practice of independent Halal certification authority. There are controls and checks done at the customs when the food products enter the country.

Visitors would love the Al Maqtaa Fort, which is a 200-year old fort. The Bateen Shipyard is another interesting place to visit; here one can see how dhow vessels are built with traditional techniques. The Heritage Village located at the center of the city of Abu Dhabi and has been designed in the form of the living museum showcasing the past of the country and the local traditions.

The Khalifa Park is the best place where you can relax and have some family fun. The park has a maritime museum, a theme park, monorail, an Amphitheatre, time tunnel ride, Masjid and also an Islamic themed garden.

The Old Airport Garden is another great place to relax and enjoy some marvelous views of the sea. The Chronicle Park on the eastern part of the Abu Dhabi Island is a perfect place for bird watching and fishing. Qasr al-Hosn or the White Fort is also one of the important monuments of the region. Even though the fort is not open to the public but visitors would love the opportunity to take pictures of this marvelous fort.

Some of the museums that may interest visitors to Abu Dhabi include the Women's Handicraft Center, The Petroleum Exhibition in Abu Dhabi and the Al Ain Museum that has great archaeological and ethnographical collections.

In Al Ain children would love to visit the Hili Fun City, a theme park that has several rides and fun games. The Al Ain Zoo & Aquarium is also another place that attracts the youngsters.

Abu Dhabi is a great place for shoppers. Visitors can enjoy the shopping centers and the traditional Arab souqs (markets) that are scattered all around the region. In Al Ain the Camel Market is a quite popular. The Old Souq in Abu Dhabi is the oldest market of the city and sells almost everything.

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven member states of UAE with the capital of the state also named as Abu Dhabi. It is situated on a T-shaped island that juts out into the Persian Gulf. The city of Abu Dhabi is the home of Emirati Royal Family, important federal…

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One of the seven emirates of UAE, Dubai is one of the most modern emirates in the region. Dubai is located towards the south of the Persian Gulf and is a well-known travel destination with several interesting attractions and lots of shopping to do.

Featuring splendid red sand dunes and lovely views of majestic mountains, the city of Al Ain is also called as the "Garden City of the Gulf". Al Ain is located next to Buraimi, an Omani town and is about two hours from Dubai.

Opened in 2008, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and has more than 5,000 Islamic artifacts from across the Islamic world. The museum is situated on the Corniche Street in the al-Majjarah area of Sharjah.

UAE Guide

UAE Info

ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL:Abu Dhabi

COMMERCIAL CAPITAL:Dubai

GEOGRAPHY

The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates or UAE, is a country situated in Southwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The largest emirate, Abu Dhabi, accounts for 87% of the UAE’s total area (67,340 square kilometres) while Ajman, the smallest emirate, covers an area of only 259 square kilometres.

DEMOGRAPHY

A population of close to 5.4 million. Muslims account for about 76% of the entire population.

CLIMATE

Tropical and warm. On the coastal plain average maximum temperatures reach above 48 °C (118.4 °F) during July and August. Average minimum temperatures in January and February are between 10 and 14 °C (50 and 57.2 °F).

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

Arabic and English are two commonly spoken languages in the UAE.

LOCAL TIME

GMT+4 hrs throughout the year

BUSINESS HOURS

Government: 8 AM to 3 PM General: 9 AM to 5 PM(Sunday to Thursday are the working days of the week. Friday & Saturday are considered as weekends)

HOLIDAYSIndependence Day: December 2ndNew Year's Day: January 1st

Muslim Festivals (Based on the lunar calendar):Milad-un-NabiIslamc New YearId-ul-FitrId-ul-Adha